|Publication number||US7392358 B2|
|Application number||US 11/035,701|
|Publication date||Jun 24, 2008|
|Filing date||Jan 14, 2005|
|Priority date||Jan 14, 2005|
|Also published as||CN101142581A, CN101142581B, EP1836638A2, EP1836638B1, US20060161749, WO2006078460A2, WO2006078460A3|
|Publication number||035701, 11035701, US 7392358 B2, US 7392358B2, US-B2-7392358, US7392358 B2, US7392358B2|
|Inventors||Jian Chen, Carlos J. Gonzalez, Daniel C. Guterman|
|Original Assignee||Sandisk Corporation|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (18), Non-Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (11), Classifications (26), Legal Events (5)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This invention relates generally to the delivery of messages, such as advertising, to users of electronic systems employing removable re-programmable non-volatile memory devices such as memory cards, flash drives and rotating magnetic devices.
Electronic non-volatile memory cards are used with personal computers, notebook computers, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital still cameras, digital movie cameras, portable audio players and other host electronic devices for the storage of large amounts of data. Such cards usually contain a re-programmable non-volatile semiconductor memory cell array along with a controller or control function that controls operation of the memory cell array and interfaces with a host to which the card is connected. Flash memory cards have been commercially implemented according to a number of well-known standards. Popular types include cards sold under the CompactFlash (CF), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Secure Digital (SD), and Memory Stick trademarks, each of which is sold by SanDisk Corporation, the assignee hereof. These portable, hand-held memory cards are small, the largest length being 50 mm., the largest width 36.4 mm. and the largest thickness being 3.3 mm., in the above-mentioned group. More recently, even smaller memory cards have come to the marketplace, including the miniSD and TransFlash cards of SanDisk Corporation.
Other small, removable re-programmable non-volatile memory devices have also been made to interface with a computer or other type of host by including a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector plug. These are especially convenient since personal computers and other types of hosts commonly include one or more USB connector receptacles but may not have a receptacle slot that accepts any of above identified standard memory cards. There are several USB flash drive products commercially available from SanDisk Corporation under its trademark Cruzer. USB flash drives are typically shaped differently than the memory cards described above but contain memory with similar amounts of data storage capacity. The mid-sized Cruzer flash drives have an elongated shape with a length of about 70 mm., including the USB connector plug at one end, a width of about 18 mm. and thickness of about 8 mm. The trend is to make flash drives even smaller. USB flash drives are commonly used as a replacement for floppy disks, storing personal and/or business data. Users often constantly carry the devices with them.
The higher end of the range of storage capacities of flash memory cards and drives that are currently available are one, two and four gigabytes (GBs). Miniature rotating magnetic disc drives are also available with greater storage capacities. One miniature disc product has the same form factor and electrical signal interface as the flash memory CF card.
The cost of certain of these devices, particularly the USB flash drives of relatively low storage capacity, are becoming low enough as to be given away, or sold at a discount, as a means of delivering an advertising message contained on the card. Flash drives with 8, 16, 32, 48 or 64 megabyte (MB) storage capacity are becoming inexpensive enough for such use. In one instance, for example, the Lexus division of Toyota Motors sent flash drives with 16 MB of storage capacity without charge to potential purchasers of its automobiles. Information describing a new model of automobile was contained as data in the flash drive that provided an interactive video display on a host computer with a USB receptacle into which the card's USB plug was inserted. The user could delete these advertising data from the flash drive in order to be able to free up for his or her personal use the storage capacity which had been occupied in storing the advertising data.
The present invention includes techniques for increasing the value to providers of data in such portable re-programmable non-volatile memory devices by communicating the message content to users of the memory devices. When the message content includes advertising, distribution of the memory devices without charge or at a deeply discounted price becomes feasible. At the same time, the value to the end user of a memory device, after receiving the message, is maintained. In general, restrictions on the use of the memory devices until the message is delivered to the user, and the methods of delivering the message, are chosen to maximize the value of the memory devices to both the message content providers and the end users. In this way, the distribution of the message content by such memory devices becomes feasible.
In one embodiment, data containing the message content are stored in the memory device itself, and full use of the device by the end user to store his or her own data requires that the user be at least exposed to the message. In one application, such devices can replace free optical CD ROM storage disks as a means to distribute message content. A major difference is that the memory device is useable for other purposes, and consequently it is not thrown away by the user before receiving the message, as are many free CD ROMs. In another embodiment, wherein the user's host system is connected to the Internet, the distributed memory device contains a link to an Internet site that contains the message content, which is then transmitted to the user's host system to which the device is connected. The Internet site may then enable full use of the memory device after the user is at least exposed to the message. In a further embodiment, the user may be directed from data on the memory device to call a specific telephone number that contains the message content in a recording. After the user is at least exposed to the message, a code is given that enables the user to unlock some or the entire memory device through its host for his or her own use.
Distribution of such memory devices for purposes other than the distribution of advertising content can also be of value. For example, instructions on how to use the memory device may be distributed this way. The user is at least exposed to the instructions the first time the device is connected to a host, after which the memory device may then be made fully operational to store his or her data. As another example, a user may be required to at least be exposed to instructions on how to use a host system with which a memory device is provided or adapted for use. A memory device sold with a camera, for instance, may contain instructions on use of the camera, in a manner that the user must at least be exposed to those instructions through a computer or other appropriate host before the memory device is fully useable to him or her. In these non-advertising applications, the memory devices will usually not be given away without charge since the content provider does not stand to gain further from the message being distributed. Rather, it is a way for suppliers of such memory devices and hosts with which they are used to have an increased assurance that important instructions about their use reach end user customers, for the benefit of both the suppliers and the end users. A specific benefit to content providers is that a resulting proper installation or use of a product, or an understanding of the product, reduces customer dissatisfaction and service calls.
In one specific embodiment, the memory devices made to carry the message content preferably include firmware and/or circuitry to limit or prevent access by the end user to a portion of the storage area chosen by the content provider, usually at least a portion of the memory containing the message content data, or pointers to it, until after the user receives the message. At the same time, the message content area of the memory needs to be accessible to selected entities for writing data of the message content or pointers, with security so that others cannot access such an area before an end user has at least been exposed to the message. Access to the entire memory space may even be blocked in some applications until there is an indication that the user has at least received the message. Such memory devices with these capabilities may therefore typically be sold at a premium by the memory device manufacturer to advertisers or their agents.
Alternatively, the manufacturer may load the message content data into the memory devices before their sale. If these memory devices are then distributed by the message content providers, the device manufacturer receives revenue for its services in doing so. In some cases, the manufacturer may alternatively distribute the memory devices through its normal retail distribution channels. When memory devices with advertising content are sold at a reduce price, or given away for free, the content provider pays the manufacturer to do so.
As a further aspect of the present invention, a memory device with at least a portion of its memory locked to the user until it receives an unlocking signal can have other applications in addition to the delivery of message data. Since the locked portion of the memory can be made accessible by the controller of the device, data or program instructions useful to operations of the controller can be stored there. But when such data or program instructions are no longer useful, the portion can be unlocked in order to increase the amount of memory available to the user to store his or her data.
In another specific embodiment, application software is stored in the memory device that is either automatically launched from the device when it is connected to a host or launched by the user after connection. The application software is then executed by the host. This application manages the viewing of the advertising or other content as well as the unlocking operations, or may only facilitate the unlocking if unlocking is done by a remote Internet site. Communication between the memory device and the host is preferably made secure, as is communication with an Internet site if that is part of the process. Security in communication between the host and memory device to control playing of advertising or other stored content and unlock the memory may be provided by one or more passwords, cryptographic keys, or other information stored on the memory devices along with the application software by their manufacturer or later by an entity that loads the advertising or other content into the memory devices.
Additional aspects, advantages and features of the present invention are included in the following description of exemplary examples thereof, which description should be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The various aspects of the present invention can be implemented with any of the memory devices described above in the Background, and others that may be available. The embodiments described hereinafter, however, emphasize use of a USB flash drive as an example.
Example Memory Device and its Use
As further background,
Of course, other memory devices can also be used, such as CF, MMC, SD memory cards, or the like. Whenever a host system does not contain a specific physical receptacle that receives the selected memory device, there is often a commercially available mechanical and/or electrical adaptor that can be interposed between them.
A typical controller chip 22 has its own internal conventional bus 26 that interfaces with the system bus 23 through interface circuits 25. The primary functional components normally connected to the controller bus 26 include a processor 27 (such as a microprocessor or micro-controller that runs code instructions), a read-only-memory (ROM) 29 containing, for example, code to initialize (“boot”) the system, random-access-memory (RAM) 31 generally used to buffer data being transferred between the memory and a host as well as to temporarily store controller firmware, and circuits 33 that calculate and check an error correction code (“ECC”) for managing accuracy of data passing through the controller between the memory and the host. The controller bus 26 interfaces with a host system through circuits 35, which, in the case of the flash drive 20 is done through contacts 37 that are part of the USB connector, plug 21, and therefore externally accessible.
Although the embodiments herein describe a memory card with externally accessible electrical contacts, another form of data interface can alternatively be employed. Wireless radio-frequency (rf) and optical (such as infra-red) communication are among other possibilities.
The controller may also contain industry standard security components 34 to perform such functions as data encryption, cryptographic authentication, data signing, or algorithms for performing these functions. A simple form of security may include password protection to inhibit access to a range of storage space, or more robust security may include the use of cryptographic functions to encrypt data and/or control access to a given area of the storage space of the memory device.
The memory chip 24, as well as any other memory chip(s) connected with the system bus 23, typically contains an array of re-programmable non-volatile memory cells organized into a number of blocks. Memory chips with a NAND architecture of flash memory cell arrays are currently preferred for large capacity memories. As with flash memory in general, memory cells of a NAND system must be erased before they can be programmed. The memory cells of the individual blocks are erasable together. That is, the memory cells in a block are the smallest unit of erase. Several pages of data are usually stored in each block, typically 8, 16 or more. Each page stores one or more sectors of data, each sector typically containing 512 bytes of user data plus some number of bytes of overhead data in the form of a header. The page is typically the smallest unit of programming and reading data. That is, the data of a page are written or read as part of one programming or read operation. Other memory array architectures are possible for use in the flash drive 20, such as those with a ROM architecture where a single sector of data is stored in a block, but the above-described flash memory architecture is currently a popular commercialized architecture for large capacity non-volatile re-writable electronic memories. Another architecture that can be used is one without erase blocks and which is single-byte accessible.
Although the controller 22 controls the operation of the memory chip 24 to program data, read data, erase and attend to various housekeeping matters, each memory chip also contains some controlling circuitry that executes commands from the controller to perform such functions. Further, the controller typically contains a number of registers for the temporary storage of control and status data during operation of the memory system, such as registers 39 within the processor 27. Although the memory system controller is shown in
As conceptually shown in
It is assumed for this explanation that the amount of data within one of the logical blocks 41 is the same as the storage capacity of one of the physical memory blocks 45, excluding the previously mentioned overhead area. There are usually more physical blocks provided than the number of logical blocks available to the user. In the example of
General Description of the Use of Memory Devices for Message Distribution
As part of controlling the delivery of message content data from the memory device and then, in response, freeing up an amount of its memory for use by the end user, the logical/physical addressing illustrated by
Data of a message to be delivered to the user of the memory device, or a link to part or all of that message stored elsewhere, are stored in one or more pages of a block of the memory 24 (
A general operational flow diagram of
To begin with, an individual end user (consumer) initially obtains a memory device of the type discussed above in the Background, including the flash drive 20 (
The host preferably utilizes an operating system that recognizes the memory device for access to read and write data according to a known standard. If a flash memory device is of a type that emulates a CD-ROM device, for example, the memory device will be recognized by most versions of the Windows operating system and communication automatically takes place. This is a feature of the host operating system. If the memory device is a memory card with an ATA interface of a peripheral storage device, the Windows operating system will also recognize and communicate with such a card. If a memory card employs some other interface, it will be automatically recognized by the host if drivers for such a card are included in the host operating system. And if a memory card cannot be physically plugged directly into the host 11, an intermediate mechanical and/or electrical converter may be interposed between them. Reader/writer devices are commercially available that receive one or several different format memory cards and then connect them through, for example, the standard USB port of a computer or other host system.
There are several alternate ways in which the message content data may be stored and delivered to the user, the subject of step 53. As previously mentioned, examples are (1) to store all or substantially all of the data of the message in the memory device, (2) to store substantially only an address of an Internet site to which the host is directed to retrieve data of the message, or (3) to store a telephone number that the user calls to listen to the message.
The message may be delivered in response to a designated one of several events, one being the initialization of the memory device when first inserted into the host, or when the host with the memory device is turned-on. The message may be automatically delivered upon initialization or the user may be required to request delivery after the device initialization but before the memory device can be used by him or her. This may in one embodiment be done by launching the security application. The message is then delivered to the user through the host, either from data stored on the memory device or that obtained from the Internet site that such data causes the host to access, or both. The number of times the message is to be delivered can also be controlled by the firmware, one option being only once when the memory device is first used, another option being a limited number of times, and finally the message can be delivered each time the memory device is initialized. As another variation, different messages or different parts of a single message may be delivered on the occasion of each of several successive initializations.
If the memory device firmware does not automatically deliver data of the message content upon initialization, it may be necessary for the user to initiate, through the host, delivery of the message data to the host for viewing. If some substantial amount of the memory capacity are not available to the user for his or her use until the message content data are read, there is a substantial incentive for the user to do so. By allowing the user to select the time to view the message, rather than automatically delivering it upon initialization, more attention may be paid to it. It may also be required by the memory device firmware that the message content data be read several times, or that different messages be read at different times. An incentive for the user to do this can be supplied by freeing up an additional portion of the blocked memory for use each time the message is received, up to a maximum number of times when the entire memory device is then made available to the user.
The specific combination of options described herein that will be implemented in a specific group of memory devices depends in large part on the nature of the message, the purpose of conveying the message, and similar considerations. It is usually important that instructions on how to use the memory device be received by the user at the first initialization. Such instructions can include cautions on how to properly withdraw the memory device from the host using specified procedures contained in the host operating system and obtaining a message in response that the memory can be withdrawn safely without the risk of losing data. All of the associated instructions should preferably be provided at one time, rather than being conveyed in parts. No use of the memory device to program data should be permitted until its controller receives confirmation that the instructions have been received by the user. Similar considerations apply when instructions to use a camera, or other host with which the memory device interfaces and is supplied, are the message content stored in the memory device. Also, the message content can contain instructions of how to use a software application that runs on the host system to which the memory device is connected and/or one that utilizes the memory device in some way.
The message content data stored in the memory device may include any one or a combination of certain of text, video, audio, multi-media, video game, database or HTTP data files. Suitable application software on the host is then used to read such data file(s) and provide a visual and/or audio display of the message. Such software includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Adobe Acrobat and a media player, or proprietary display applications.
An indication that the message has been delivered is preferably required by the memory device firmware before additional memory space is unlocked for user programming, as indicated by a step 55 of
For certain types of messages, it is preferable to require feedback from the user that he or she actually received the message and understood it. Therefore, rather than simply waiting a designated period of time before unlocking the memory, the memory device software or Internet site may maintain the memory lock until some feedback is received from the user through the host device. For example, the user can simply be asked at the end of the message to confirm that it was indeed received. It is better, however, to ask the user to answer one or more questions about the content of the message to assure that it has both been received and understood. Only after receiving correct responses is the memory unlocked to store the user's data.
Alternatively, if the message includes a series of pages, slides, video chapters, or other segments, the user can be asked to advance to the next segment after the message of the earlier segment has been absorbed. Although this may not be as positive an indicator that the user actually received the message as when questions about the message must be answered, it is less objectionable to the user and at least confirms that he or she was exposed to the entire message. It is therefore preferable to also impose a minimum time between advancing to the next segment in order to prevent the user from advancing through them faster than they can be absorbed.
Another form of content that may be utilized, either alone or as part of a message, is a video game. If the message may be conveyed by a video game, the user's interest in proceeding may be higher and there is positive feedback to the memory device firmware or Internet site that the user has been exposed to the message. The commands entered by the user to play the video game provide that response.
Once one of the indications described above has been received that the user has at least been exposed to the message, the memory device controller causes some part of the memory space to be unlocked, as indicated by step 57 of
In order to respond with the message data upon initialization or when requested by the user, the memory device preferably maintains the beginning address, the length of the file, and other similar attributes of each segment of the message content data. This will generally be stored in a reserved block of the memory 24 (
While the operation illustrated by
When the message content is advertising, it may promote a product or a service by encouraging the user to utilize the advertised product or service. Advertising content may also include a coupon that gives the user a discount on a future purchase of the product or service. The coupon may be placed into a useful form by allowing the user to print one copy of the coupon through the host system to which the memory device is connected.
Embodiment of Host Execution of a Security Application
A specific implementation of the functions generally described above may utilize software that is executed by the host system. This software is referenced herein as the “security application.” Although the security application could be downloaded by the host over the Internet, or provided in some other way, it is preferably stored on the memory device, in addition to the message content, and then read from the memory device by the host. The primary purposes of the security application are to manage access to the message content and unlock the memory for general use after the user satisfies certain criteria with respect to the message content. The memory device is initially supplied to the end-user with the memory controller causing a portion or all of its available memory space to be locked against access to programming data therein. When the security application determines that the end-user has been adequately exposed to a message, it sends a signal to the memory controller to unlock at least a portion of the memory that is linked to that message.
The security application either causes data of the message content stored in the memory to be played or is directed by a record in the memory to obtain the message data from an Internet site. The security application can either read the message data directly or launch another host software application on the host to play the message content data. The security application then monitors playing of the message content to ascertain when there has been an appropriate exposure of the end-user to the message content, and then signals the controller within the memory device when it is appropriate to release the locked portion of the storage space. The message content data may be embedded in the security application but more typically are stored separately on the memory device or an Internet site.
Security functions that interact with those on the controller may be included in the security application. Some level of security is preferably provided against unauthorized access to and operation of the memory device to unlock the memory without the user first being exposed to the advertising or other message content in the desired manner. Transfers of at least the security application data and unlocking commands between the host system and the memory device are preferably subjected to some level of security, such as by requiring use of a unique password to enable such transfers, transferring the data and commands in an encrypted form, data signing, or other like security techniques. A similar level of security may be provided for accessing message content data from the Internet, when that is utilized. The memory system portion of such security may be implemented by the circuits 34 of its controller 22 (
An example of an implementation of the foregoing is illustrated generally by
The user area 109 of the memory device is usually accessible by the host for writing data thereto and reading data therefrom. In this case, the controller 105 prevents such access to the entire user area 109 until it receives a command from the host 101, in the course of executing the security application 115, to unlock the user area. This command is issued after the user has been exposed to the message content of the data 117 to a prescribed extent and manner.
When the memory device 103 is first connected with the host 101, the security application software 115 may be automatically loaded into the host and opened by it, if the host operating system software is configured to support an auto-run capability. Alternatively, the user may be required to first enter commands through the host to read the security application software 115 in a normal manner, and then launch it. Once the message of the data 117 has been played for the user in the specified manner, the host, as part of executing the application software 115, sends a command to the memory controller 105 to unlock the user area 109, after which the user may program data into and read data from the user area in a normal manner.
Information about the message data 117 to be played and of the requirements of user exposure to the message that must be met before the user area 109 will be unlocked is preferably maintained by an attribute table stored within the memory array 107. Data of each message that must be played before the user area 109 will be unlocked is most conveniently maintained as a separate file. In some cases there is only one such file, and in other cases there are multiple files. An example set of fields that may be maintained in this attribute table for each file are as follows:
An example of the execution of the security application software 115 for one or more files of message data 117 is illustrated by the flowchart of
In a next step 127, the host loads the application software specified by the attribute table for the current file. This can be a word processing program, a graphics program, a photograph reader, animation software or the like. If the application software field of the current file table entry specifies that the security application software is to be used, then this step 127 is skipped since the security application has already been launched by the host. The current message data file is then loaded into the host, as indicated by a step 128, either by reading the data 117 in the memory device 103 or by accessing the data from the Internet site 119 (
The typical result of executing the application software is that an advertising or other type of message is played for the user by the application software loaded in the step 127. This most commonly provides a visual display on the monitor of the host system 101 but could alternatively be a sound message played through the host sound system, or a combination of both. The security application, as indicated by the step 131, monitors this playing to identify when the Policy Criteria specified for the current file have been satisfied. This can be a simple time out, or can look for user responses, such as through a keyboard and mouse of the host system 101, that match those included in the Policy Criteria.
Once those Policy Criteria have been satisfied, the Status field for the current file is updated to indicate this, at a step 133. This update is also preferably performed by a special host command. The security application normally executes this function but, alternatively, the application software running on the host may be configured to receive the response that the Policy Criteria have been satisfied and then cause the Status field to be updated in the attribute table in the memory device. Further, an Internet site being used may receive this response and cause the Status field of the attribute table to be updated.
That completes execution of the security application for the first message data file. If there is another data file listed in the attribute table, as determined by a step 135, then the steps 125, 127, 129, 131 and 133 are executed by the security application on data of this next file as the current file, with its table attributes. Once this has been done for all the message data files listed in the table, a next step 137 includes the host sending the memory controller 105 a special command to unlock the user area 109.
In the example of
The process illustrated in
The memory device 103 has been described to have a single, unpartitioned user area 109. Alternatively, the user area may be divided into two or more areas that are controlled independently. An example of a user area partitioned into two regions is shown in
Dividing the user memory space into two or more regions may be accomplished in one of several ways. One approach is to cause each region to be recognized by the host operating system as a separate drive. Each region then typically has its own file allocation table (FAT). The capability of the host writing data to each drive is then independently controlled. Once the policy criteria for the message data stored in each separate drive partition have been met, the properties for that drive are changed to allow writing data to that region.
Another method of operating a divided user memory space includes assigning each region with a logical unit number (LUN) that is recognized by the host operating system. Each LUN can be set to make its corresponding memory region either read-only or read/write. Initially, a property of each LUN is set to read-only. Once the policy criteria for all message content data file(s) in one region are satisfied, a property of the LUN for that region is then changed to read/write, while the LUN properties for any remaining regions remain read-only.
Although the message data are shown in
Storing Message Content Data in the Memory Device
The manufacturer of memory devices may partition the memory, program the message content data into them, write one of the attribute tables described above, set the properties of the user data region(s) to be locked against ordinary user programming, and/or other related actions. However, it may be more convenient for the memory devices to be manufactured and distributed to others without the message content data or attribute table being written but with one or more user data regions being locked against user programming. Customers of the manufacturer can then store their own message content data but since such data are to be stored in the locked portion of the memory, some technique must obviously be included for programming the message content data into the locked portion without allowing the end user customers of the memory devices to do so. The following describe two different techniques for programming data into the locked address space.
In a first technique, the operating firmware of the controller 22 (
The second technique includes the use of a password stored in the memory. The firmware of such a memory device then causes the standard programming command, when the logical address is specified to be within the locked range, to result in a password being requested before executing the command to store the data within locked address range. A password input through the host to which the memory device is connected is then compared with that stored in the memory device. If they compare, programming to the locked region is permitted. If they do not compare, the programming operation is refused. The password may be stored in the reserved memory block to which the host has no access. The password may be stored by use of a higher security technique if that is deemed warranted.
Alternately, more powerful cryptographic security operations may be employed. In some cases, the message content owner or the memory device manufacturer may share cryptographic layers for later authentication. Suitable anti-hacker countermeasures may also be implemented so as to thwart attempts to circumvent the security.
The attribute table may be loaded during manufacture into the memory device and stored by the controller in a portion of the memory reserved for system data, outside of the normal user data address range. These data may be encrypted or other measures taken to deter tampering, particularly with the policy criteria data fields. The policy criteria data may be loaded by the controller into a buffer memory during a power-on or other initialization of the memory device in order to set-up the appropriate controls of the user space in accordance with the policy criteria.
In order to provide convenience and security at the site of the manufacturer or content provider where the message data and attribute table are written to memory devices, a special utility may be provided. The utility could partition the memory device storage medium into different logical areas, the access to each of which may be separately controlled. It could then store the message content data into a designated one of the partitioned areas. The security application software could be loaded into a unified area of the memory storage space or to multiple areas. Cryptographic keys, passwords or other information that will later be used to authenticate the security application software or provide secure communication with an Internet site would be written to the memory. The attribute table would be loaded, preferably into a secure area of the storage space. Unless the memory controller locks the memory space during system initialization, the memory device is locked into the desired initial configuration during this configuration.
Such a configuration utility may also include a limitation on the number of memory devices that it will configure, or count them and report them to either the manufacturer or content provider, as appropriate. Use of the utility may also be secured so that it can be used only with passwords or cryptographic keys provided by the memory manufacturer.
Although the various aspects of the present invention have been described with respect to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood that the present invention is entitled to protection within the full scope of the appended claims.
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|U.S. Classification||711/163, 711/156, 711/152, 710/36, 711/164, 711/E12.1, 705/14.1, 705/14.73|
|International Classification||G06F5/00, G06F12/00, G06F13/00, G06Q30/00, G06F13/28, G06F3/00, G07G1/14|
|Cooperative Classification||G06Q30/0207, G06F12/1433, G06F21/78, G06F21/79, G06Q30/0277, G06F2221/2141|
|European Classification||G06F21/79, G06F21/78, G06Q30/0207, G06Q30/0277, G06F12/14C1A|
|Mar 14, 2005||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: SANDISK CORPORATION, CALIFORNIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:CHEN, JIAN;GONZALEZ, CARLOS J.;GUTERMAN, DANIEL C.;REEL/FRAME:015899/0927;SIGNING DATES FROM 20050106 TO 20050113
|Jun 9, 2009||CC||Certificate of correction|
|May 26, 2011||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES INC., TEXAS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:SANDISK CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:026348/0891
Effective date: 20110404
|Sep 19, 2011||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|Dec 9, 2015||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 8